Richard Degner

Richard A. Degner is the founder and CEO of Geophysical Technology Inc., an oil field technology firm focused on next generation geophysical technology development. Previously, Mr. Degner was the founder, Chairman, and CEO of Global Geophysical Services, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas. Mr. Degner built Global from inception and served as the Chairman, CEO and President from June 2003 to October 2012.
Prior to founding Global Geophysical Services, Mr. Degner spent 3½ years building PGS Onshore around several hundred of the best people in the seismic business. Under Mr. Degner’s leadership, PGS developed an excellent reputation as an innovative and high quality provider of land and TZ geophysical services.
Prior to PGS, Mr. Degner had an accomplished 16-year career with Western Geophysical, where he joined in 1984 after earning degrees in both Geophysical and Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. Since managing Western Geophysical’s first land 3D seismic project in Latin America in 1985, Mr. Degner designed and/or executed hundreds of land and transition zone 3D projects worldwide. He became the worldwide Land Product Line Leader for Western’s industry leading land and TZ seismic operation. He also served as Vice President of Western Hemisphere Operations. As a leader of the largest geophysical operator worldwide, Mr. Degner established a vast experience base and good reputation from oil and gas clientele throughout the world.
Mr. Degner graduated from Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He is an active member in the Society of Exploration Geophysics, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and served as a board member of the International Association of Geophysical Contractors. Mr. Degner has served on Stanford University’s “Earth Science Advisory Board”, and at the Colorado School of Mines’ “Geophysical Advisory Board”. He is an active member of Gerson Lerhman’s council of Energy Advisors. Mr. Degner was the 2012 regional award winner of the Ernst and Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” program for oil field technology.